Cole Brannen Returns to Grizzlies
Published on January 28, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
SAUGET, ILL. - The Gateway Grizzlies announce that they have re-signed outfielder Cole Brannen, with the experienced outfielder coming back for a third full summer with the club in 2026.
Hailing originally from Georgia, Brannen is coming off the best offensive season of his professional career in 2025. Long known for his outstanding defense and speed, he set career-highs with 12 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 18 doubles while playing in 93 of a possible 96 games with the Grizzlies, adding a .253 average and 22 stolen bases against just four times caught stealing.
Signed by Gateway in the middle of the 2023 season, the 27-year old has also quickly climbed the Grizzlies' career stolen base leaderboard, with his 71 swiped bags as a Grizzlie entering 2026 placing him third in club history behind Abdiel Diaz (2021-25) and Jairus Richards (2023).
A former 2nd round pick of the Boston Red Sox out of The Westfield School in Georgia, Brannen played four seasons in their system before initially joining the Frontier League in 2022 with the Washington Wild Things. Including time with the Wild Things that season as well as the first part of 2023 with the Florence Y'alls before coming to the Grizzlies, he has stolen 116 bases while being caught just 22 times- an 84% success rate- in 348 Frontier League games over four years.
Be sure to follow along on GatewayGrizzlies.com or on the Grizzlies' social media accounts for updates throughout the offseason as they prepare for 2026!
Frontier League Stories from January 28, 2026
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- Cole Brannen Returns to Grizzlies - Gateway Grizzlies
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